clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Wire Taps: Washington Nationals' Losing Streak Ends, Bryce Harper Drama Continues.

MIAMI, FL - AUGUST 29:  Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals celebrates a home run with teammate Jayson Werth against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 29, 2012 in Miami, Florida.  (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - AUGUST 29: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals celebrates a home run with teammate Jayson Werth against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 29, 2012 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
Getty Images

• What a hothead? But what power? You can't get yourself tossed like that! What only 416 ft? He needs to sit, right? Play him every damn day!! Seriously CB Bucknor? Don't give him a chance to toss you!! How about that outfield arm? Did everyone forget about that play? Nats win. Drew Storen dominates. Ross Detwiler's good enough. Bryce Harper hits two home runs. Bryce Harper spikes helmet. Bryce Harper gets tossed. Davey Johnson talked to Harper and tried to set him straight. The Nats' skipper and the GM want him in every game. They're going to keep running him out there, because he's capable of doing what he did last night. It's Harper's job to stay in the game. Bring on them Cardinals. The Nationals are home for an eleven-game homestand starting tonight with Edwin Jackson on the mound against the Cards' Jaime Garcia. Drama-filled links. Starting RIGHT NOW!!!!:

• THE BIG STORY!!!

• "The frustration in Bryce Harper had been simmering for some weeks, emerging during the growing pains of his tough second half of the season." - "Bryce Harper ejected for first time, Davey Johnson addresses his temper" - James Wagner, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post

• NATS BEAT:

• BRYCE HARPER TEMPER SECTION:

• "'I thought there was one out and I tossed my helmet down,' [Bryce] Harper said. 'I shouldn't have done it, but I don't like hitting into double plays.'" - "Bryce Harper spikes helmet, gets ejected from Nationals win" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "Was he spiking his helmet because of the call? Was he spiking his helmet because he was upset at himself for allowing the Marlins to turn two late in the game?" - "Nationals Pastime: Harper ejected, even though he shouldn't have been" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "The first time Bryce Harper connected flush with a pitch from Jacob Turner Wednesday night, he sent it into the first row of seats beyond the right field fence at Marlins Park." - "Nationals-Marlins: Five-game skid ends as Harper powers Nationals over Marlins" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "In Wednesday’s 8-4 win over the Marlins, the Nationals’ skidding offense took its first lead in 48 innings." - "Nationals vs. Marlins: Bryce Harper has first two-homer game as Washington ends skid at 5" - James Wagner, The Washington Post

• "This just in: The kid is heating up again, and last night's two-homer performance during the Nationals' 8-4 victory in Miami was only the latest example." - "Harper heating up again" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

• "Bryce Harper's first two-homer game ended with his latest tantrum." - "Harper's homers leads Nationals past Marlins 8-4" - Steve Wine, AP/WTOP.com

• "Don’t throw your helmet, and it doesn’t happen. Don’t smash your bat, either." - "Video of Bryce Harper’s helmet-throwing ejection" - Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post

• "The first time Bryce Harper connected flush with a pitch from Jacob Turner Wednesday night, he sent it into the first row of seats beyond the right field fence at Marlins Park." - "Nationals-Marlins: Five-game skid ends as Harper powers Nationals over Marlins" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "Bryce Harper had very little reason to be upset in the ninth inning Wednesday night." - "Harper's emotions lead to first career ejection" - Adam Berry, nationals.com: News

• "There are like 500 shots of the Yankees, a bunch of the Cardinals and Braves, and one Nats clip. Which, of course, features Bryce Harper." - "Bryce Harper in Bruce Springsteen MLB playoff promo" - Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post

• "Bryce Harper played one of the best games of his young career Wednesday night, but he also showed and admitted that he still has to learn how to control his temper." - "Bryce Harper spikes helmet after double play, earns first ejection of career" - David Brown, Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports

• "All the things that made [Bryce] Harper such a highly scrutinized phenom were on full display Wednesday night." - "Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins - August 29, 2012" - Adam Berry, MLB.com WSH Recap

• That's A Clown Ejection, Bro:


• "MASN's Bob Carpenter said it felt like the ninth inning. In a way, it was. The work that [Drew] Storen put in to stop the rally really saved the game for the Nationals." - "Storen's stopper routine stuns Marlins" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

• "'It was a fun meeting,' [Davey] Johnson said. 'I wanted to tell them, ‘I’m very pleased with the effort and the production.'" - "Davey Johnson calls 'fun' team meeting amid skid" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "[Davey] Johnson, who last called a team meeting way back in May, admitted the offense 'has taken a nap' in scoring six runs over those five games, but he doesn't want his players to start pressing." - "Davey calls team meeting amid Nats' skid" - Adam Berry, nationals.com: News

• "Even though he is adverse to team meetings, [Davey] Johnson picks strategically when to call them." - "Davey Johnson calls Nationals team meeting: ‘I just needed to let them know I was on their side’"- James Wagner, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post

• "The Nats put up a four-spot in the fourth inning, giving Ross Detwiler a 4-0 buffer and finally giving them a lead." - "Nationals Pastime: A much-needed offensive outburst (Nats win a big one)" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "The organization hasn't announced a full tally of its recalls, but there are several obvious candidates and areas of need." - "Nationals ready for some reinforcements" - Brian McNally, WashingtonExaminer.com

• "There's nothing wrong with a little adversity. That's the lesson that both the Cardinals and Nationals will be preaching prior to their series opener on Thursday." - "St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals - August 30, 2012" - Spencer Fordin, MLB.com Preview

• "'Stras just was a little off,' said Nationals manager Davey Johnson. 'When he came in (with his fastball) they were waiting on him.'" - "Strasburg, Suzuki stay late to hash out 9-0 loss" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "Let's tuck the panic meter back into the garage for a while. Toss away the stress balls. Pick up the shredded box scores from the last few games that were flung all over the living room floor." - "Nationals Pastime: Right back on track" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "An inflated sense of self-importance deflects us from the inner peace and happiness we seek and affects those around us negatively."

• NATS MINORS:

Class-A Short Season Auburn: "The Auburn Doubledays (42-27) came back from a 4-1 deficit on Wednesday night to defeat the State College Spikes (31-37), 6-4, in front of 3,323 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park." - "Doubledays sweep Spikes with comeback win" - Eli Pearlstein, Auburn Doubledays News

Class-A Hagerstown: Grasshoppers 4, Suns 0 - Billy Burns - 1 for 4; Taylor Jordan - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 K, 1 HR - Hagerstown Suns Scoreboard

Class-A Hagerstown: Twitter @HagerstownSuns: "Matt Skole has been named MVP of the South Atlantic League, as well as best third basemen. Congratulations Skoley!"

• "Hagerstown Suns All-Star outfielder Caleb Ramsey was named South Atlantic League Player of the Week for Aug. 20-26 following an incredible six-game run." - "Hagerstown's Caleb Ramsey named South Atlantic League Player of the Week" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

• "Washington Nationals prospect Matt Skole has been one of the most productive sluggers in A-ball in 2012." - "Minor League Prospect Report: Matt Skole, 3B, Washington Nationals" - John Sickels, Minor League Ball

Class-A Potomac: "The Carolina Mudcats scored twice in the seventh and twice again in the eighth to down the Potomac Nationals 5-2 in a pivotal playoff race game." - "Potomac Drops Critical Game to Carolina 6-2" - Potomac Nationals News

Double-A Harrisburg: "Ryan Perry started for the Sens and pitched in and out of trouble in the first three innings before Richmond finally broke through for two runs in the fourth." - "Senators Hang Tough but Fall 3-2 at Richmond" - Terry Byrom, Harrisburg Senators News

Triple-A Syracuse: "The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, swept a Wednesday night doubleheader with the Charlotte Knights from Knights Stadium." - "Chiefs sweep doubleheader from Knights" - Syracuse Chiefs News

• "Thursday’s News & Notes" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

• NATSTOWN:

• "Is there any sentient being on the planet earth who has yet to express an opinion on the Stephen Strasburg shutdown?" - "Jim Riggleman, Stan Kasten back Nats on Strasburg shutdown" - Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post

• "August 30, 1906 - 'Slow' Joe Doyle of New York becomes the first pitcher of the 1900′s to start a career with two straight shutouts when he whitewashes the Nats, 5-0, in the Big Apple." - "This Date in Washington Senators History" - Art Audley, D.C. Baseball History

• "And here's video of Harper's other Big League first last night: first ejection!" - "Video: Bryce Harper's first multi-homer game as a Big Leaguer" - Nats Enquirer

• "The passion of the Bryce" - Joseph Michelizzi, Positive Mental Natitude

• "So last night's game wasn't about a team meeting, or about a resiliant Nats team holding on, or about Bryce Harper breaking out of a slump..." - "Good team plays well, News at 11" - Harper, Nationals Baseball

• "Nationals Journal reported yesterday afternoon, to little fanfare, that the Washington Nationals will send six players to the Arizona Fall League next month." - "Nats Send Six To Arizona Fall League" - Will Yoder, The Nats Blog

• "I wasn’t alone when I figured we just figured out the Harper version of the Gordie Howe Hat Trick..." - "Nats finally win again, Bryce Harper hat trick born" - William F. Yurasko, William World News

• NL EAST UPDATES:

Phillies: "Listed at 6’3″, 190, the right-hander accrued a 15-1 record with a 2.26 ERA between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley — much of it coming with the latter team." - "Tyler Cloyd Makes MLB Debut (.gifs!)" - Bill Baer, Crashburn Alley

Mets: "Matt Harvey’s magical mystery tour to begin his major league career isn’t showing any signs of relenting." - "Matt Harvey gets the victory as the New York Mets defeat the Philadelphia Phillies" - Mike Puma, NYPOST.com

Braves: "The debate over whether Kris Medlen was more valuable as a starter or reliever is now moot." - "Suffice to say, Medlen has secured his spot in Braves rotation" - David O'Brien, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Marlins: "For three innings Wednesday night, Jacob Turner was almost perfect: 29 pitches, 23 strikes, four strikeouts, no hits." - "Miami Marlins’ Jacob Turner falters as Nationals’ skid is over" - R.J. Rico, MiamiHerald.com